Kier has signed a pre-construction services agreement (PCSA) to begin detailed design and preparations for construction of the new government complex.
The Government Property Agency (GPA) lodged a planning application for the Brunswick Street block with Darlington Borough Council in March. Subject to planning consent being granted, construction is scheduled to start at the end of the year and complete in 2027.
When completed, Brunswick Street will form part of a government campus of three buildings, including Feethams House and Bishopsgate House, all within Darlington town centre. This Darlington Economic Campus (DEC) forms part of the government hubs programme, moving civil servants out of London.
It will provide office space for around 1,450 civil servants from eight different government departments and agencies, ranging from the Treasury to the Competition & Markets Authority.
Since 2021, an additional 800 civil servants have been recruited into the DEC, adding to the 750 Department for Education (DfE) staff already based in the town.
Brunswick Street is GPA’s first new-build freehold building. The agency will own both the four-storey building and the land in its entirety, removing the need to lease.
Kier Construction managing director Stuart Togwell said: “Working in partnership with the GPA, we will create an exemplar building to support and create a new flagship regional hub for the government and a sustainable, inclusive and collaborative environment for its employees.”
He also promised that Kier would use local suppliers for the project.
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